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E-Tickets

Information on e-tickets and automatic ticketing

Electronic tickets (e-tickets) and automatic ticketing (AT) are becoming increasingly popular. They already account for the majority of all public transport tickets sold in Switzerland. They entitle the holder to travel on public transport in the same way as conventional paper tickets. However, e-tickets and automatic ticketing differ from paper tickets in certain respects. We have listed questions and answers here.

Questions and answers

When is the ticket purchase on time?
According to the applicable laws and fare regulations, the ticket is purchased in good time if the ticket purchase is completed in full before the actual departure of the public transport service. The same applies to automatic ticketing: the check-in process must be completed before departure.

Why do I need to buy or activate an e-ticket or travel authorization (check-in) before boarding?
To ensure that the purchase or check-in process is completed on time and the ticket is valid, we recommend purchasing e-tickets or activating the check-in before boarding public transport. If passengers are already in possession of a valid ticket or travel authorization before boarding the means of transport, they do not run the risk of not being in possession of a valid ticket when the means of transport departs. The tariff provision that customers must be in possession of a valid ticket or travel authorization before the actual departure is enshrined in the T600 (available only in German) throughout Switzerland. This provision is binding and applies to all sales channels.

Which applies: the departure time in the timetable or the actual departure time of the means of transport?
The purchase of the e-ticket or the check-in at Automatic Ticketing must be completed before the actual departure of the public transport.

Why is there no grace period of one to two minutes?
In Switzerland, the requirement is that a valid ticket must exist for a journey. Accordingly, passengers should also be able to rely on a uniform, nationwide and comprehensible regulation. In return, however, this rule must also work in all public transport systems (local, regional and long-distance), especially in local transport, where the journey time between two stops is often only a few minutes or even seconds. What's more, the same discussion would arise with a grace period; simply one or two minutes later.

I received a surcharge because I bought my e-ticket a few seconds too late or checked in too late. Why is the transport company not accommodating in such cases?
Due to the current regulations, there is a fundamental risk of receiving a surcharge if you are not in possession of a ticket before the means of transport departs. You can easily check in on the way to the stop or before boarding the means of transport. This means that there is no risk of checking in too late or even forgetting to do so. The automatic ticketing system recognizes when a person is using public transport based on their location. There is also no disadvantage if you check out later. Only the journey actually completed is charged. In Switzerland's open public transport system, there are generally no access barriers in front of stops or means of transport that can only be passed with a valid ticket. Due to the legal requirement of “one journey, one ticket”, a uniform, simple and therefore comprehensible regulation is needed for passengers throughout Switzerland. The departure of the means of transport is a measurable factor for everyone. Without a binding regulation, the current fare system based on fairness could be completely undermined. However, it goes without saying that the public transport industry is very keen to ensure that individual cases are handled correctly, even in a mass business such as public transport. To this end, there is a two-stage process whereby a passenger can contact the back office of the respective transport company and initiate a review in individual cases.

What about surcharges if the app doesn't work?
The public transport industry does everything in its power to ensure that ticket apps and sales systems work without interruption. If this is not guaranteed for once, this will of course be taken into account when handling cases in the back office at the latest. There are various options available for purchasing a ticket (analog and digital). Passengers are responsible for ensuring that they have a valid ticket or travel authorization when they depart on public transport, regardless of which channel they choose to purchase their travel authorization. It should be noted that the functionality of the device when purchasing e-tickets is the responsibility of the traveler who chooses this form of ticket purchase. Differences have been identified in the reliability/functionality of the various smartphone systems. However, this is the responsibility of the passenger. The purchase process for e-tickets can take longer if network performance is poor. It is best for passengers to ensure that they are in possession of a valid e-ticket or travel authorization before boarding public transport.

Can the control personnel be lenient?
Due to the lack of time and limited technical possibilities, it is usually not possible to clarify the exact circumstances on the spot. The main task of the ticket inspection staff is therefore to check whether the passengers are in possession of a valid ticket. If this is not the case or if the ticket cannot be presented, the ticket inspection staff will record this event. The respective transport company decides downstream on any goodwill. This makes it possible to clarify the respective claim in each individual case. This procedure therefore also serves the equal treatment of passengers, as the in-depth clarification in the back office with more information compared to the situation in the vehicle provides a better basis for establishing the facts of the case. This is the only way to ensure that the same cases are treated as equally as possible, but that relevant differences in the facts of the case are apparent at the time of the decision, which may not have been known at the time of the ticket inspection.

Who is responsible for processing the recorded incidents?
The handling of goodwill cases is the responsibility of the individual transport companies. If a person is unable to produce a valid or only partially valid ticket, this will be recorded on the spot by the control staff. Subsequently, if initiated by the passenger, an in-depth clarification of the individual case is possible. There is also the possibility of a subsequent assessment of the circumstances in the individual case. These clarifications are carried out by the back office of the respective transport company. Subsequent assessment by a competent ombudsman's office is also possible.

Why can the ticket inspector also ask for ID in addition to the ticket?
E-tickets and travel authorizations (check-in) are personal and therefore issued in a person's name. It is therefore part of the inspection staff's job to check the personal details of e-tickets and travel authorizations (check-in). In order to prevent improper check-in and check-out, the ticketing staff can also check the travel authorization several times.

Why do I have to pay a fee if I can only present my valid e-ticket or travel authorization (check-in) at a later date?
If you had a valid e-ticket or travel authorization at a ticket inspection but were unable to present it at the ticket inspection, your personal details will be recorded by the ticket inspection staff and you will be asked to go to a ticket counter later or contact the back office. If the validity of your e-ticket or travel authorization can be subsequently confirmed at the time of the ticket inspection, you will only be charged a fee for the inconvenience. The fee is a minimum expense allowance (does not cover the actual expense). If it is subsequently established that there was no case of travel without a valid or only partially valid ticket, the recorded data will be deleted immediately.

Why is there a central information system (SynServ)?
In Switzerland's open public transport system, there are generally no access barriers in front of stops or public transport vehicles that can only be passed with a valid ticket. Access is based on passengers' confidence that they have a valid ticket or travel authorization for their journey. Nevertheless, random checks of tickets on the means of transport are necessary. This shows that a significant number of people repeatedly use public transport without a valid ticket or only with a partially valid ticket. The purpose of recording or entering this information in SynServ is to ensure that passengers who repeatedly fail to present a valid or only partially valid ticket can be identified, even beyond the respective transport company. In this way, repeated misuse can be counteracted.

Will I still receive an entry in SynServ in the event of goodwill?
In principle, a first-time entry in SynServ has no consequences. The travel data will be completely deleted after two years. The purpose of the entry in SynServ is to ensure that travelers who repeatedly fail to present a valid or only partially valid ticket can be identified, even beyond the respective transport company. This is precisely to counteract repeated misuse. If it is subsequently established that there was no case of travel without a valid or partially valid ticket or no loss of revenue, the data is deleted from SynServ. The entry in SynServ has no effect beyond the stated purpose. An entry has no influence on other areas of life of the registered travelers. It is therefore not a register like the criminal or debt collection register and cannot be viewed by third parties.